Houzz Tour: Brooklyn Apartment Strikes a Stylish Balance
Traditional architectural details and vintage pieces combine with a sleek white kitchen and new rooftop deck
Cava kept the living room neutral, painting walls in Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl, allowing the eclectic furnishings to shine. The room was outfitted in a vibrant kilim rug from One Kings Lane, a light fixture from Etsy and a blue velvet and brass chair from Jonathan Adler.
The designer livened up the brick fireplace with emerald hand-glazed ceramic tiles found at Mosaic House. Cava had the original pine wood floors sanded down and refinished with a warm stain.
The designer livened up the brick fireplace with emerald hand-glazed ceramic tiles found at Mosaic House. Cava had the original pine wood floors sanded down and refinished with a warm stain.
Goldstein removed the wall separating the living room from the dining room to create an open and flowing floor plan. To frame the dining space and add character, Cava installed wood paneling on its back wall and ceiling. The designer had the ceiling stained a warm shade and the walls painted a bright white. She outfitted the space with light fixtures from Etsy and a custom dining table and bench from Trailer Park in Brooklyn.
The architect relocated the kitchen from a small room in the back of the apartment to a more central space in the heart of the home. The couple originally intended to install a kitchen that was salvaged from Billy Joel’s home in the city, but then their friends offered them a Bulthaup kitchen that they were getting rid of during a demolition. Goldstein installed the like-new white Bulthaup kitchen and paired it with tall metal Metro shelves for extra storage.
Above the island, vintage green light fixtures from Philadelphia Salvage and bar stool legs partially painted red add a pop of color to the crisp white kitchen.
Above the island, vintage green light fixtures from Philadelphia Salvage and bar stool legs partially painted red add a pop of color to the crisp white kitchen.
The staircase leads from the main level to a cozy mezzanine and rooftop deck. Cava designed the bookshelves on the stair landing using pipes, brackets and salvaged wood.
Cava gussied up the brick fireplace in the master bedroom with burgundy and ivory tile from Mosaic House, and freshened up the tin ceiling with a bright white coat of satin paint. The designer found the custom dresser from Trailer Park, where the dining table and bench also were sourced.
Wall color: Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter
Wall color: Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter
In the master bathroom, Cava paired black-and-white Lucifer cement tile with walls painted in a tranquil Hancock Green from Benjamin Moore. The designer salvaged the retro painter’s sink and glass-paneled door from the building’s cellar. She sourced the medicine cabinet from Restoration Hardware and the vintage cage light from Etsy.
Browse black-and-white cement tile
Browse black-and-white cement tile
Where the original kitchen used to be, the nursery is now a bright and cheery space painted in Benjamin Moore’s Moonlight. A striped window shade from The Shade Store, a technicolor rug from Wayfair and polka-dot wall stickers add a whimsical vibe to the room.
The second-floor mezzanine is home to an office and inviting guest suite. Cava created a custom desk out of two white metal cabinets topped with a stained wood board. The designer used rope to cover steel structural support cords.
The design team constructed a bulkhead at the top of the stairs in the footprint of the apartment’s old skylight. A small sitting area featuring a white settee leads outside to the rooftop deck.
The team at New Eco Landscapes outfitted the rooftop deck, which has views of Manhattan, with a newly constructed pergola and landscaping in the back. Cava sourced an array of dining and lounge furniture, so the couple have plenty of seats for entertaining friends and family.
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More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple and their baby
Location: Brooklyn borough of New York City
Size: 1,600 square feet (148.6 square meters)
Designers: Interior designer Linda Cava and architect Josh Goldstein
In New York’s hip Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, a young couple with a newborn baby wanted to breathe new life into their top-floor owner’s unit in a three-story apartment building. During the renovation, architect Josh Goldstein knocked down walls and opened up low ceilings to create an apartment with an airy loft-like feel to it.
The homeowners asked designer Linda Cava to handle the interiors by scoring secondhand finds and restoring vintage architectural elements. Cava salvaged baseboards, doors and a painter’s sink from the building’s cellar. She also upcycled light fixtures to give the home a one-of-a-kind look.